Scoundrel ex-Waterloo Cup Hotel manager Jack Woolley pleads guilty to $381,000 fraud charges

A scoundrel former Moonee Ponds pokies hotel manager admitted fleecing more than $300k to bankroll his $1000 a day meth habit.

Jack Woolley pleaded guilty to a rolled-up charge of theft. Facebook.

A methhead pokies manager stole more than $300,000 which he blew on a crippling ice addiction and gambling at Crown Casino.

Jack Woolley, 31, was sentenced in the County Court to a minimum 14 months’ jail after pleading guilty to a rolled-up charge of theft.

Woolley was the Waterloo Cup Hotel venue manager when he rorted $381,880 via 80 bogus transactions between July 2016 and March 2017.

The thieving degenerate helped himself to the Moonee Ponds’ hotel pokie machine takings — including pocketing $14,000 during a single rort.

Woolley masked his skulduggery by manipulating eftpos and transaction data, the court was told.

However, his thievery ended abruptly after senior finance staff for the venue’s owners, Supreme Hotel Group, discovered records had been manipulated and cash was missing.

An internal investigation revealed Woolley was the duty manager when each of the cash discrepancies occurred.

Woolley, who was hauled in for meeting with the group’s owner and other senior staff, initially denied the offending.

Woolley eventually copped to his scam, agreed to repay the cash then was sacked on the spot.

Woolley immediately handed back $3500 but ghosted his ex-employer when his audacious promise to repay $360,000 in 28 days went kaput.

Hotel management set police on Woolley when he failed to repay any more cash.

Police arrested Woolley in May 2017 but the fraudster was set loose after he gave a “no comment” interview.

Woolley was again banged up and interviewed by police in August last year.

The crook admitted his theft after police seized a tablet which contained evidence Woolley had entered into a repayment plan with the hotel’s owner.

Woolley told investigators he was “pretty much taking takings from the day” and would “recoup” the stolen funds by manipulating computer information.

The thief said he would “skim” money and sometimes stole cash bags “depending on whether he needed coin to buy more gear”.

Woolley estimated he stole “393” but wasn’t certain because he was “cooked off his head”.

Woolley, who admitted having a “pretty bad” ice addiction, said he spent the funds on a “bit of gambling” but the cash went “predominantly on the gear”.

Woolley also told police he “put a fair bit of cash through Crown” and he was using a $1000 ‘ball’ of meth a day.

The court was told Woolley was “going through a really shitty time” after splitting with his ex-partner.

Woolley, from Truganina, said he spent $60,000 or $70,000 on meth after selling his house but soon incurred a drug debt.

The court was told Woolley is now drug free, in a new relationship and had worked as a handyman prior to going into custody.

Judge Fran Dalziel jailed Woolley for a maximum two years and three months.

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